But as far as Vaishnava sadhus are concerned it's mainly Rama who serves as their inspiration.
Rama
On the poster below Rama and Sita are surrounded by the main characters of the Ramayana and the main gods of the Hindu pantheon.
Kneeling before them is Rama's faithful servant Hanuman, the monkey-god and general of the monkey army.
The epic Ramayana, with its many exemplary adventures of Rama, is the primary source of inspiration for shaping the attitude of exclusive, one-pointed devotion to Rama which is the hallmark of a Rama devotee.
Rama plays an important part in contemporary Hinduism. He lives in the hearts of the common people. He rules the lives of sadhus devoted to him. For many sadhus, memorizing, analyzing, and absorbing the Ramayana is a life-time pursuit, and some become professional exegetes, reciting and interpreting the texts to the public.
It is believed that just hearing the sacred words of the Ramayana is in itself liberating and will confer the grace of Rama. And in an even simpler way, continuous recitation of the name of Rama from the heart will enlighten the soul. In fact, in this Dark Age, Rama's devotees regard it as the only way to reach the Absolute.
And if enligtenment does not happen in one’s life, it may happen at the moment of death, that is, if one dies thinking of Rama and with his name on one’s lips.
As it is chanted by the mourners in funeral processions:
“Rama nama satya hai!”, “the name of Rama is Truth.”
